Love, Artemis Queen
by Threaded Needles
Summary: I just want to be that normal girl, even if I am friends with Dick Grayson and that borders impossible. Of course, though, my cousin's mom just had to go to die, and now I'm sharing a room with my annoying Freshman cousin. Ugh. Spitfire. [In this story, Artemis is Oliver and Dinah's child.]
1. Chapter 1

_[Z] [7:12am] _

_Need a ride? _

_[Art] [7:14am] _

_Do you have an extra seat? _

_[Z] [7:14am]_

_Yeah, why? _

* * *

I closed the text messages on my phone and locked it with it's usual passcode, and stepped down the stairs two at a time, humming softly.

"Cass, ready for school?!" I yell, looking around the empty living room. Shit, where'd she go?

Cass, or Cassie, is actually my Mom's best friend's daughter. But since her mom got killed in a car wreck (a texting driver's fault), and she doesn't have a dad, Mom took it upon herself to say Cassie was my cousin, and suddenly Cassie is permanently attached to my hip because she's fourteen and apparently doesn't know how to go through life.

Okay, her Mom did just die, I get it.

But Z is probably almost here, so Cassie better already be on the way to school via Dad or just hiding out in the bathroom pretending to be sick so she doesn't have to go to school.

I yank open the door to the bathroom. No Cassie. Z's car beeps outside, so I just roll my eyes and push outside, and take the backseat behind Dick Grayson.

* * *

_[Momm] [7:35am] _

_Where are you? _

_[Sweetie] [7:35am] _

_School? _

_[Momm] [7:36am] _

_I'm dropping Cass off at the office, will you show her around, please? _

_[Sweetie] [7:37am] _

_Fine..._

* * *

I look around, closing my locker while Z fiddles with her school jacket uncomfortably. There has to be someone else I can latch the job to or at least pay off to show Cass around, preferably a Freshman so I can pin the _Student Liaison_ thing to them.

_"Art?" __  
_

I look over to Z who is holding out her hands expectantly. I drop her first hour binder into her hands, resuming my expedition to find someone else to take over my "watch over your Freshman cousin" job.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," I lie, and then turn to Z. Perfect student liaison, _ever, _and she's right in front of me! "Z, want to do me a favor?"

"I don't like that look."

* * *

_[Dickwad] [8:54am] _

_Are we meeting for lunch? _

_[Goddess of Hunt] [9:12am] _

_We aren't friends? _

_[Dickwad] [9:12am] _

_We carpool together! _

_[Goddess of Hunt] [9:34am] _

_You share saliva w/ Z. No. _

_[Dickwad] [9:35am] _

_We've been besties since Kindergarten! :'( _

* * *

Z stomps over to me at lunch, and literally begins pulling my hair.

"He-ey! Ow! Stop!"

"That's for making your cousin cry!" she says angrily, before sitting down next to me and stealing an apple off my tray. Dick is suddenly suctioned right next to her, ignoring me.

Jeez, did I piss everybody off?

"What did she do?"

"She adores you, Art, and you walk all over her!"

I push my mashed potatoes around, "okay, where is she? I'll go apologize."

"Probably with her friends," Megan says cheerfully, setting her tray down across from me, "what are we talking about?"

"Artemis is being a bitch," Dick supplies, he catches me glaring, "hey, you said we aren't friends, I don't have to be nice!"

I roll my eyes. Megan is splitting her pie with Z, and Dick is suddenly engaged in conversation with Kal.

Fabulous, so I can just sneak off, blurt out a quick apology and...

"Art, where you going?"

* * *

_[Arty] [12:24pm] _

_Sorry about ditching you earlier. I'll take you out for Ice-Cream later. _

_[Annoying Cousin] [12:26pm] _

_Apology accepted :) And thanks, but I'm going over to Suzanne's tonight. _

_[Arty] [12:27pm] _

_Ok. _

_[Change Contacts] _

_[Annoying Cousin] [EDIT] [Cass]_

**-Would you like to save changes? **

_[Yes] _

* * *

"Mind if I sit here," I ask, putting my binder down at a table. Each table will have enough room for four people, and Z and Dick have this class this hour too. But since I got here late, and I assume they're making out in a bathroom somewhere, all the tables already had two or three people at them, besides this one.

"Go ahead," the red head, says. He's reading through an English book- The Catcher and the Rye- I should know, I have a copy from it being issued in my English class.

Dick chooses then to make his entrance, hopping over the table and into his chair to show off his acrobatic skills- having been in that stupid class since he was like three.

Zatanna slides next to him, grumbling about Algebra Two. I can't help but smile at that.

"Artemis, you pick the best seats," Dick says, before high-fiving the red head.

* * *

_[Unknown Number] [3:45pm] _

_Be nice to my cousin. _

_[Freshman] [3:45pm] _

_Who is this? _

_[Unknown Number] [3:46pm] _

_Artemis Crock. Cassandra Sandsmark cousin. Be nice to her, or I'll castrate you. You filthy Freshman. _

_[Freshman] [3:46pm] _

_I'm a Sophomore..._

_[Artemis Crock] [3:48pm] _

_Oh._

_[Artemis Crock] [3:49pm] _

_Filthy sophomore. _

* * *

I shut my phone off and turn to Z, who's trying on different dresses in front of my full-length mirror. She smooths down the hip of the yellow one she's wearing, and turns on her heel to me.

"How do I look?"

"Fabulous," I say with a wiggle of my eyebrow. My phone lights up with a text from Dick, wondering where Z is.

"Who were you texting?" she asks, shimmying out of the yellow dress and trying on a red one.

I watch her zip up the back of the dress, her fingers scrabbling around the zipper, "some sophomore who's hanging out with Cass."

Her nose wrinkles, and she looks at the dress in the mirror.

"Are you going to be ready in the next week?" I ask.

She tries on the yellow dress again, "it's not everyday you go out with your boyfriend to dinner with his entire family."

"Jason will look down your shirt again," I say lazily, causing her to change dresses again.

* * *

_[Filthy sophomore] [8:29pm]_

_Where do you live? _

_[Artemis Crock] [8:30pm] _

_? _

_[Filthy sophomore] [8:30pm] _

_I was going to walk Cassie home..._

_[Artemis Crock] [8:31pm] _

_That's sweet, but I'll come pick her up. _


	2. Chapter 2

_[Kon] [7:13am]_

_I'm driving today, you riding? _

_[Sassy] [7:13am]_

_Are you driving your dad's pick-up? _

_[Kon] [7:13am]_

_Yes. _

_[Sassy] [7:14am] _

_pass. _

* * *

"Mom, can I have a ride to school?" I ask, walking in on her, where she's buttoning the top of her dark blue jacket. Teenage therapist, Mom's heard it all, from "Daddy Issues" to "Mama Drama".

"Artemis Queen, knock before you enter our bedroom," she hisses, adjusting her pantyhose. Why is it that my thirty-something-year-old Mom get's to be hotter than me? Seriously, not fair.

"She's right, Arty, never know what we might be doing," Dad says with a wink. His bushy blonde beard make him come off more so as a pedophile uncle, unfortunately.

I close the door, exiting the room, then rap slightly on the door before pushing my way in, "Mom, can I have a ride to school?"

"Sure, sweetie," she said, slipping on her black heels. She kisses dad on the cheek, "get dressed for work, you might be CEO but-"

"Don't rush perfection!" Dad insists, making Mom smile.

* * *

_[Cass] [8:32am] _

_Hoe do you tell if a guy likes you? _

_[Cass] [8:32am]_

_*How_

_[Arty] [8:35am] _

_How old is he? And why are you texting in class? _

_[Cass] [8:36am]_

_16 & I'm in Photos. _

_[Arty] [8:37am] _

_what_

* * *

I skim the last line of the chapter that we're reading in English.

My cousin literally just made my day a million times worse, because, did family genetics decide to skip me or something (okay, yeah, she isn't really my cousin)?

Did she like some guy that just happened to be older and wanted to know if he even remotely liked her? Or was some pervert trying to put some moves on her and that was code for "beat his ass"?

Or maybe I should just face the facts, that even though I'm sixteen, nobody is going to like me, but rather my Freshman cousin.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition of _life isn't fair. _

Somebody kicks the back of my chair, I whirl around to see that same red-head I sat next to in Algebra. Wally West, AKA (apparently) kid genius.

He passes a note forward, and in untidy handwriting, he wrote: _Can I have your number? _

I scrawl it down quickly, pretend to yawn by putting my arms in the air, and let the paper fall to his desk.

* * *

_[Raq] [11:23am]_

_Gurl, where are you 'n' Z? _

_[Blondie] [11:24am] _

_Closet ;) _

_[Raq] [11:24am] _

_Wow. I'm so dying of laughter. _

* * *

Z pushes on my back slightly, while the door clicks shut behind us. Photos, more commonly known as Photography class, requires it's students to go in the demonistic hell known as The Dark Room.

In case you have never taken Photography, allow me to enlighten you: The Dark Room is a small room where you develop photos and negatives, it is tiny and you have to have the lights off and a safe light on, an eerie red color which seriously make the room the demon portal from hell.

It's also commonly referred to as "The Closet" when three years ago the councilor (my Mom!) found two guys having sex in the very back of the demon hellhole- with the lights off and red safe light and everything.

Needless to say, my mission is to not touch anything in that room too much.

* * *

_[Awesome Daddy] [2:46pm] _

_Are you okay with watching over the house this weekend? Me and Dinah are celebrating our anniversary in Steel City. _

_[Beautiful daughter] [2:47pm] _

_And...? _

_[Awesome Daddy] [2:48pm] _

_You and Cassie can both have one friend over. _

_[Beautiful daughter] [2:48pm] _

_Have fun on your anniversary! Thank you! xoxo_

* * *

Cassie sits on the couch, watching Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, while I try someone to come over for the night. Z is spending the night with Dick, Megs is working, Raq is visiting her Uncle.

Of course, whoever Cassie invited over is able to, and they'll be here in like an hour.

"Oh, Cass, I forgot, who's coming over?"

"My friend Jaime," she says, eyes still glued to the TV while some woman gives her testimony in a rape case.

"Isn't Jaime a guy name?"

"So?" she asks, passing the bag of chips to me. I gladly begin to inhale the delicious sour cream and cheddar chips.

"But just so you know, it is a guy."

I choke.

* * *

_[Walls] [7:35pm] _

_Hey_

_[Queen] [7:35pm] _

_OHMYGODSAVEME. _

_[Walls] [7:36pm] _

_?_

_[Queen] [7:36pm]_

_My cousin has a friend over, and I cannot take anymore. _

_[Walls] [7:36pm] _

_I'll be over in 5. _

* * *

The doorbell rings four minutes later. I open it to find Wally holding up a take-out box with Chinese foods.

"It's like you've known me forever," I say, opening the door wider to let him in. He sets the box on the dining room table.

"Chinese food makes everything better," he says, offering a white box filled with sesame chicken to me. I take it, and snap a pair of chopsticks out of the plastic wrapping.

I point toward the living room, and curl up on my spot on the couch. I turn on the flat screen while Wally sits next to me, his own box with fried rice.

A crash from upstairs raises his eyebrows while I switch between The Blind Side and The Patriot. "So, what do you think-"

"What's going on upstairs?" he asks.

"Don't worry 'bout that. I'm ninety-nine percent sure there's rubbers up there," I say, taking a large bite of chicken.

* * *

_ [Artemis Queen] [11:21pm] _

_What are you two doing up there?! _

_[Filthy Sophomore] [11:22pm] _

_Cassie fell off her bed. _

_[Artemis Queen] [11:22pm] _

_Why are you even in her room? Remove yourself immediately. _

_[Filthy Sophomore] [11:22pm] _

_Or...? _

_[Artemis Queen] [11:23pm] _

_What do you mean OR?! Do I need to come up their and kick your ass? _


	3. Chapter 3

_A.N. Hello my beautiful readers! Now before you begin reading this chapter please note that this has some religious bashing in the chapter. Now, if you have a problem with this, please PM and I will be glad to remove it. Also feel free to skip it if you don't want to waste the time to PM. _

_Please do not flame me for it, or hate-mail me, I will laugh at you (or possibly, just report you, depending). I was just trying to get in Artemis's head. _

_If you wish to remain anonymous please (politely) ask me to remove the section via review. _

_Thank You. _

* * *

_[Z] [5:24am] _

_GUESS WHAT?! _

_[Art] [5:24am] _

_No. _

_[Z] [5:25am] _

_Oh grow up, it's after five... _

_[Art] [5:25am] _

_Not everybody is a model like you, Z. _

* * *

I should probably be arrested for being the worse person in the history of the universe (aside from Hitler). Because I'm pretty sure poking your fourteen-year-old 'cousin' in the face with a stick a five thirty in the morning, even though she's sleeping (next to her guy friend, though) is illegal in some county.

Probably.

She turns and rolls over onto her side, eyes still closed as she pulls the sheet and comforter under her chin.

And... **poke. **

I smile when she only snuggles closer to her friend's shoulder, and I put the stick down to go start making breakfast.

* * *

_[Megs] [8:20am] _

_Where are you going to college? I'm thinking in Marrs. _

_[Arty] [8:21am] _

_I haven't decided. I'm not really geeked about the whole "College Experience". _

_[Megs] [8:21am] _

_Me and Kon are getting married right after High School. _

_[Arty] [8:22am] _

_Aw, congrats :) babies too? _

_[Megs] [8:22am] _

_ARTEMIS! _

_[Arty] [8:23am]_

_I regret NOTHING. _

* * *

I think about college a lot, to be honest. It never sounded awesome to me, I mean, another four years of school? No thank you. But there's a lot of pressure being the daughter of CEO Oliver Queen and all.

Of course, Mom and Dad said not to sweat it, they're behind me one-hundred-precent with whatever I want to do.

All my friends are going off to bigger and better places though, Kon and Megs will probably move back to the country and have a billion kids, Dick will be a fancy manager for Wayne Enterprises with Z as his perfect model wife, Raq will move back in with her Uncle and Amistad.

And me...?

I try and shake it off when Cassie stumbles down the stairs wondering why the heat went out.

* * *

_[Dickwad] [11:42am] _

_Where's Waldo?_

_[Bitch] [11:43am] _

_What? _

_[Dickwad] [11:43am] _

_Sorry- **Wally_

_[Dickwad] [11:44am]_

_Bart's over here digging through my gourmet trash looking for him. _

_[Bitch] [11:44am] _

_Gourmet trash? _

_[Dickwad] [11:45am] _

_That's what you got out of it?!_

* * *

"Can we say a prayer?" Cassie asks, after I set down a plate with stacks of waffles on the table.

"Uh," I say stupidly. I'm not religious, and I figured her religion was beat out of her after her Mom's head was impaled by a sheet of glass and her Dad didn't show up to claim custody.

Cassie's already linked hands with Jaime and Wally (who does so with a roll of his eyes) and she looks at me expectantly. I sigh and join hands, while Cassie thanks God for the food he gave us (that I made), to watch over her Mom (why couldn't He do that when she was alive?), and thanks him for having a wonderful place to stay (thanks, the rent on this place is astronomical).

We dig into our waffles, which are slightly gooey because I can't cook to save my life, and the proof is quite obviously sketched on Jaime's face when he takes a bite and the gooey insides run all over his plate.

Cassie doesn't seem to mind much, and eats the waffle without complaint before putting her plate in the sink. Wally practically absorbs four waffles by the time I'm a third of the way through my first.

* * *

_[Walls] [3:48pm] _

_Hey, so this is kinda lame, but do you want to go to the Fall Formal with me? _

_[Queen] [3:49pm] _

_Sure? :) _

_[Walls] [3:49pm] _

_Was that a yes?_

* * *

"You act as if you actually care," Z says, flipping through her World History book without interest.

"Well, I don't. I don't care," I say.

She sticks her tongue out, and begins writing down the Gettysburg Address on her palm with sparkly pink ink, "by the way, where's your little cousin?"

"Hospital, sprained wrist," I say easily.   


She blows the ink dry and smiles, "so, Meg and Conner getting hitched, what do you think?"

I shrug, "her and Kon have been together since Freshman year."

She turns the book, rolling her sleeve up to her elbow, changing pens for The Star Spangled Banner, "Well, Damian was born yesterday."

"Selina finally popped?" I say with a grin. Selina Kyle is Bruce Wayne's fiancé. They'll be getting married in the late summer.

"Yeah, I think Bruce was hoping for a girl though, should've seen his face," she says, rolling down her sleeve.

"So, Damian Wayne."

* * *

_[Stephanie] [4:47pm] _

_Are you bringing the stuff? _

_[Artemis] [4:47pm] _

_You sound like a druggie._

* * *

"What do I do next?" Stephanie asks, sifting the flour into the batter for cupcakes. Nutrition class is quite literally supposed to mean "Easy A", instead it means "Hard-as-hell-hope-you-know-how-to-cook" class. Seriously.

"Stir it together, Steph," I say, handing her a wooden spoon. She stirs the batter, and I stare at the red velvet batter. The bowl looks like it's bleeding.

I jot notes for our journal that we have to turn into the teacher on Wednesday. Stephanie scoops some of the batter off onto her finger and eats it.

I begin to lay out the cupcake liners, and make sure they're all the eggshell white color. We're being graded on how well we can follow directions. Steph begins to pour the batter into the cups hazardly, and I can't help but want them to taste good so we don't loose points on looks.

Steph sets the timer and I put them into the oven, accidentally burning my knuckle against the hot rack.

"You're on cheer squad right?" I ask, running cool water over the burn. Cheerleaders are known for one thing: short skirts. Seriously, they have maybe half an inch of cloth after their butt, and underneath it is something like shorts so they can touch their toes midair.

I think it the most degrading thing in the world you could ever do. I don't say out loud, because Megan is on squad.

* * *

_[Cass] [8:12am] _

_We get to do a play! _

_[Arty] [8:13am] _

_Freshman play, right? What are you doing? _

_[Cass] [8:13am] _

_Alice in Wonderland. _

_[Arty] [8:13am] _

_We did Through the Looking Glass :D _

* * *

Freshman play is one of the most embarrassing things the school has come up with, ever. Everyone has to participate, so even after they've plugged the main characters, you've got fourteen-year-olds shoved in mushroom costumes, or are the overweight butterfly.

Cassie, luckily, get's casted as an understudy of Alice and until that time presents itself, she's the door mouse (the character who just sleeps at the Mad Hatter's tea party).

I think she looks adorable in mouse ears.

She gushes about how her best friend, Cissie gets to be Alice and Cissie's boyfriend, Bart, is the Mad Hatter. It's like they made the play specifically for them.

Unfortunately, Freshman play still sucks.


	4. Chapter 4

_[Cass] [10:12am]_

_I see you. _

_[Arty] [10:12am] _

_Stalker _

_[Cass] [10:13am] _

_Can I hug you? _

* * *

Cassie gives me a one-armed hug while I'm trying to type up my seventy-three pages of my story for Creative Writing. I think she's in Basic Communication this hour.

"Cassandra, back with the group," the teacher yells, waving over to the laptop area that they're using. She let's go, waves goodbye and sits next to (I'm guessing) her partner who has short chestnut hair.

I smile briefly before summoning myself back to reality to finish typing my story. I still need to finish typing up thirty some pages. Maybe I should have added less blood, but I guess that's what Mister Jones gets for giving me the genre of _Romance. _

I finish the next eight within twenty minutes when the teacher starts calling for us to wrap it up- we'll be back tomorrow, so save, let's go. I type up the last line and save the story.

* * *

_[Filthy Sophomore] [11:26am] _

_I have a question to ask. _

_[Artemis Queen] [11:26am] _

_I guess that isn't illegal... _

_[Filthy Sophomore] [11:31am] _

_Uh, may I ask Cassie to the Fall Formal? _

_[Artemis Queen] [11:32am] _

_Feel free to cry when she turns you down :)_

* * *

I tighten my grip on my binoculars when I hear a body drop down next to me and a bottle of pop- or maybe juice- open. "Z, I swear to god-"

"I thought you didn't believe in God."

I yank the binoculars down, and they fall against my chest with a soft thump, "hey."

STUPID. Seriously, the best thing I can say to the guy I'm going to a dance with is "hey"? While I'm sitting in grass and leaves behind a bush spying on-

I flip the binoculars back up and search the area quickly for Cassie and Jaime. I locate Jaime with the chestnut haired kid, and Cassir with another blonde near the snack machines. Nothing interesting yet.

"Continue," I say, taking off the strap for it.

"What? I can't come sit with you- muffin?" he says, gesturing to the large amount of assorted muffins on his tray.

I cock an eyebrow, "uh, did you get those all for me?"

"Of course not! Muffins happen to be a good source of carbs... Track," he finishes lamely.

"Well, thanks," I say, grabbing a blueberry one.

* * *

_[Z] [1:51pm] _

_Come over to my house tonight. _

_[Art] [1:51pm] _

_Is that a demand? _

_[Z] [1:52pm] _

_It's a reminder. _

* * *

"Ok, I'm here," I say gently, knocking on Z's black door. She opens it, wearing pajama pants and a neon blue sweatshirt.

"Welcome, to my beautiful abode, watch out you might step on Grayson."

I take off my shoes on the way in. Dick is on his red laptop, pulling up files, probably illegally from FBI personal.

She sets a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream in front of me, and then we squeeze in next to each other in the huge recliner her dad owns. It was a lot easier to fit in it together when we were tiny and in fifth grade.

"Me too!" Dick yells, launching himself on top Zatanna and planting a kiss on her cheek.

She kisses him back, but makes him get down, handing me a PS3 controller.

* * *

_[Momm] [4:06pm]_

_I'll pay you fifty dollars if you do me a favor. _

_[Sweetie] [4:07pm] _

_Done deal. What am I doing? _

_[Momm] [4:07pm]_

_ Chaperoning on Cassie's date. _

_[Sweetie] [4:08pm] _

_Momm, that's an invasion of privacy. _

_[Momm] [4:08pm] _

_I was there for your first date. _

_[Sweetie] [4:09pm] _

_What? Where?!_

* * *

"This is boring."

"Shut up, they'll hear you," I say, stepping on Wally's foot. I'm surprised his bright freaking yellow shirt hasn't attracted their attention yet.

"Sorry, I just didn't realize I'd be missing dinner to stalk your cousin and my little brother's best friend. They're not going to go down on each other on the first date."

"Obviously you have never heard of rape, so shut up and pay attention."

He does so, but not before he reaches around into his backpack and pulls out a ham sandwich.

"You brought food, why the hell were you complaining so much for?"

He takes a bite, "high metabolism, takes a lot more than a sandwich to fill me up."

"Lovely," I say, moving to the right when Jaime and Cassie decide to change directions and head back towards us.

* * *

_[Unknown Number] [2:38am] _

_[-ATTACHED PHOTO-] _

_[Artemis Queen] [2:39am] _

_Uh, whoever you are, stop texting in the middle of the night and stop stalking my cousin and her vomit-inducing boyfriend. _

* * *

I help Cassie unpack all the junk food we've bought for the weekend. We argued for a while, but her and her friends will be upstairs in the den with the 48" flat screen, and me, Z, Megs and Raquel will have the downstairs living room and TV.

Her friends arrive first, all in a group. The blonde, Cissie, is sweet at first until her boyfriend- Bart- decides to dump a glass of ice water on top of her to "cleanse the fakeness" and a string of obscenities follow.

He said he only did it because he loved her, obvious innocence.

Jaime was as he always is, calm and collected, and so very kind. Why does he have to be so damn nice? Why can't he just be the average jerk wad who I can just kick him out of my cousin's life? Cassie. Whatever.

They decide to take all the chips and the huge box of M&Ms upstairs and watch _World War Z, _leaving me to wait for my group of friends.

Raq arrives and shoves a bag into my hands before pretty much stripping right at my door to put on PJs. We watch half of a Cartoon Network show that I'm pretty sure is supposed to give the feeling of being drunk to children, before Z and Megs arrive. Megs is doing a leg jig, meaning she has to pee.

Once we're settled in and Z starts reciting the rap lines from some Eminem song- loudly, and not very good, Raq pulls out the box she was keeping in her bag.

The room goes so quiet you could hear the breathing from upstairs.

* * *

_A.N. Hello again my lovely readers. Just wanted to let you now: I have gotten no sleep in the past day or so... newborn in the house and her nursery is right under my bedroom ;-; _

_Also I was wondering how you'd feel of me doing a chapter from the POV of either: Cassie/Z/Wally, so you can kinda get a feel for them more so than just howArtemis perceives them. _


	5. Chapter 5

_Artemis. _

I wake up pressed against Z's back, a pillow separating our hips. I notice that I'm drenched in cold sweat, and I slowly peel back the covers to go take a shower.

Z doesn't stir, I know she won't be up until noon. Megs went home early after having a nauseated headache, and Raq knows where the cereal is.

Upstairs, where the good shower is, I poke my head into the den to see if any of them are up. The title screen for Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock) is on, and the younger teens are still snoozing happily. Cissie is pressed chest-to-chest with Bart, Cassie is wrapped up in several blankets on the air mattress and Jaime seems content with being in a sleeping bag. On the floor.

I'm glad Cassie's found somebody awesome for herself.

I shower in my bathing suit: I don't feel comfortable.

* * *

_[Awesome Daddy] [9:21am] _

_How's the house? _

_[Beautiful daughter] [9:22am] _

_Clean. Do you want everyone out of the house though? _

_[Awesome Daddy] [9:22am] _

_Do they have families to go home to? _

_[Beautiful daughter] [9:23am] _

_Everybody except Z. I think. _

* * *

I go back downstairs to still find Raquel and Zatanna passed out. I sigh and flip on the TV to the news channel.

Cat Grant lists a sudden breakout from Belle Reve- the local nuthouse- and lists several names. Most I dismiss. It's not until she says _Cameron Mahkent, _and my blood practically freezes and I almost vomit.

Instead, my fingers fumble with the remote to turn it off when Cassie comes downstairs, her eyes not yet alert.

She's innocent.

And I'll do anything to protect that.

* * *

_[Walls] [11:02am] _

_Are we still going to the dance together? _

_[Queen] [11:03am] _

_Unless you're standing me up. _

_[Walls] [11:03am] _

_I'd never dream of it. _

* * *

"Artemis!"

I knead over the rest of the batter in the bowl before turning to Cassie, who is holding up two different shirts on hangers. The dance is tonight, and with Thanksgiving tomorrow, I'm juggling helping Mom with food prep and getting myself and Cassie ready for the dance.

"Orange," I say, turning back to the pie crust dough. I hear her go back into the room and changing into the shirt.

I begin to shape the crust in the pan, add the apple filling and fold the top over. I set it aside, brushing flour off my hands when Cassie comes back out.

She's wearing the orange shirt, which has maple leaf imprints, and a short jean skirt. She has an orange hairband with a ribbon attached to it, and she smiles, wiggling her toes in her sandals.

"Cutie," I say, pulling at her left cheek. Her face contorts slightly in pain, and I let go to go get dressed myself.

* * *

_[Z] [3:47pm] _

_Once upon a time... _

_[Art] [3:47pm] _

_No. _

_[Z] [3:48pm] _

_There was a Queen (pun intended), Artemis and her cousin, the princess. _

_[Art] [3:50pm] _

_Z, no. _

* * *

I feel weird in a dress. Like I'm naked or something.

And not in a fun way.

Of course Mom and Cassie thought I looked gorgeous and Mom held the camera to snap pictures.

"The boys are picking you up so I can get pictures, right?"

"Mom, we'll take pictures when we meet up there," I say, rolling my eyes.

Cassie follows me out the door, adjusting her hairband blindly. "Do look acceptable?"

"Sweetheart," I say, grabbing her by her shoulders, "even if you didn't, Jaime will say you are, unless he wants me to castrate him with a rusty fork. Make sure you tell him that."

She giggles, and I smile while clambering into Z's car.

* * *

_[Artemis Queen] [7:21pm] _

_Make sure to tell Cassie she looks pretty. And don't go anyplace that I can't see you. And if you're dancing with her- at least six inches away. _

_[Filthy Sophomore] [7:22pm] _

_Will do. _

_[Artemis Queen] [7:22pm] _

_You have earned some of my trust. _

* * *

I'm surprised Cassie fell asleep on the way back home. I mean, Z's got the radio up to max volume and it's close to being below freezing, but she nods off on my shoulder anyways.

"Z, hand me your camera," I say, gesturing, hoping not to wake up Cassie.

"Sorry," she begins, looking through the mirror, "trying to be a safe driver."

I lean forward and grab ahold of the digital camera, turning it back on. Z only peered curiously at me before turning off the dirt drive she was previously on. I scroll through the pictures already taken at the dance. She's got Megan and Conner slow dancing, Raquel giving a kiss to Kal, Stephanie and Tim, Jason and some girl I don't know. The last picture is Cassie, Jaime, Wally and I. I'm not sure how she got it to line up so exact, but it's us crossing paths while dancing.

I'll let Jaime off the hook for being three inches too close to Cassie.

* * *

_Cassandra. _

I wake up bleeding.

Why? I don't know. I searched for scratches and cuts and wasn't able to find any- besides the flow of blood was much too big for it just a cut.

I peel off the blood coated clothes and turn the shower on hot.

... And the blood stopped.

I hummed in happiness, but after I turned the water back off, the bleeding started again.

Oh my goodness, I'm dying.

* * *

_"Are you ready?!"_

_"For what?" _

_"DOUBLE DATE!" _

_"Cissie..." _

* * *

"Artemis, I think I'm dying."

Her pepsi, that she was taking a long drink of, comes spraying out of her nose and the drink that was in her mouth dribbles out back into her cup.

"Sorry, didn't realize you'd take it so hard," I say shyly, while she wipes her nose with her sleeve.

"Uh, what makes you think that you're dying?"

I cross my legs uncomfortably, and that seems to get her attention, "okay, come with me."

* * *

_"Right, right." _

_"Are you even listening?" _

_"What would you think if I said no?" _

_"Cass-" _

_"I love the sound of your voice, okay?" _

* * *

"Watch where you're going," Artemis says with a laugh, when Zatanna brakes quickly at the sight of somebody else pulling out of parking lot.

"Hey, I'm not that bad driver here, do _you _want to drive Miss-I-had-my-liscence-suspended-for-reckless-driv ing?"

Artemis quiets down, and Zatanna safely maneuvers us into a spot, without any more trouble.

The hallway leading to the gymnasium is decorated with gold tissue paper shaped and cut out like leaves. Cissie is waiting for me, matching myself except for in yellow rather than orange.

"Hello!" she says, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, the bracelet on her wrist jingles with all of its charms. "We're still waiting on them, Bart decided he needed to eat, so don't expect them for another fifteen minutes," she says, the edges of her mouth tugging up into a smile.

Cissie and Bart have been dating for a little under six months. They've been inseparable since seventh grade. I use the term because you don't really date in seventh and eighth grade- and everybody who says they had a boyfriend then just pretended to be dating by holding hands with some guy while at the playground.

Anyways, Cissie and Bart literally were made for each other. Bart is smart mouthed, eats a lot and lives in the fast lane; Cissie is quick-witted and always trying to match Bart's inhumane pace of life. He only slows down for her.

Zatanna comes over with her digital camera, but since we're alone right now, she heads in the direction of Jason Todd- a sophomore with some serious issues, or something- and a pretty girl he has an arm looped around.

"Bart's here!" Cissie squeals, literally taking off down the hall as if she had special equipped an implant in him to tell when he comes within fifty feet of her.

I follow behind carefully when I feel hands wrap around my eyes, blocking my vision, "guess who?"

"Jaime!" I say quickly, removing his hands and hugging him around the middle.

His voice drops, "you look beautiful, Cassie."

I smile up at him, catching the Artemis staring as the scene plays out.

Is she the one pulling the strings? Is the only reason I have friends because of her? Why does Jaime always compliment and be the nicest person possible? Is it all Artemis?

My fingers clench and I begin to cry.

* * *

_Wallace. _

Dick's house (mansion) has never ceased to amaze me. First off, it's huge! Like, his room alone is four times the size of mine! Next, he has a ton of siblongs- none of them related by blood of course unless you count Selina and Bruce finally having Damian. That kind of amazes me since I've only ever had Bart, and he's usually off in his own world.

I climb the stairs, and accidentally awake the beast known as Jason Todd (warning: he has the personality of an electric eel) while banging on Dick's door to be allowed entrance.

"Jeez, West, any louder and the devil will personally drag you to hell."

"Sorry, Todd. And it's not West anymore, got it legally changed to Allen last week."

"Fabulous," he says with a roll of his eyes, buttoning his white shirt.

I frown at his gelled hair, "you going to the dance too?"

"Didn't get the message that it was illegal," he mumbles, slamming his door shut. Sheesh.

I find Dick hacking away on his laptop in the game room. The TV is replaying the ending credits for some animated movie, and he only looks up to nod his head in my direction. He is seriously wearing sunglasses- indoors.

"You should be getting ready," I say.

He looks up from his CSI files, "what time is it?"

I glance at my phone, "seven-thirty."

He gets up and stretches, completely arching his body off the ground. I can't help it, I say, "dude, stop that is fucking creepy."

"Oh, you love it," He says, patting my chest.

* * *

Artemis looks pretty. No, a more appropriate synonym would be stunning or radiant. She's wearing a short orange dress with a red bow tying her hair up.

We talk for a while, over the sound of the bass booming from the speakers, and she keeps moving us so that we're standing at least fairly close to her cousin at all times..

Jason meets his date at the school, and she's cute enough, for him. Her hair and eyes are so light it's obvious she's part Vlatavan.

"You want to dance?" I ask, when the DJ announces the last song for the night.

Artemis looks around quickly before joining hands. She rests her head against my chest, so that she can hear my heart.

"You know, we should go out again sometime," she says.

"Really?"

"Yeah, have to make sure you're not just another asshole somehow." She gives me a quirky smile.

* * *

_A.N. Welcome back my extremely fantabulous readers! Sorry this took so long to get up, my average sleep in hours is currently four. I'm ready to fall over from exhaustion. And schools killing me, Mom keeps yelling at me because I'm barely scrapping by English with a B-. _

_Anyways, enough about sleep. This chapter literally had me in a ball crying. Firstly, PLOT BUNNY. 2) Cassie finally finds out Artemis is sorta (mostly) pulling the strings behind her and Jaime's relationship. C: Perdita somehow found her way into my story. As Jason's date. Seriously, if you picked that up, take a cookie (and an extra hour of sleep). Finally, the overall upcoming plot (yes, this has PLOT) actually is kinda sick and demented and really weird. So I don't blame you if you drop the story now. _


	6. Chapter 6

_[Z] [2:32pm] _

_Is it okay if I hate Kori Anders? _

_[Art] [2:33pm] _

_She's been going to our school for a less than a week... _

_[Z] [2:33pm] _

_She's all over my man!_

_[Art] [2:34pm] _

_Your "man" still has a pre-puberty voice. _

* * *

Mom and Dad leave a note on the table saying that they have to spend overnight in Central City for a conference in the morning. Lucky. I make a bag of popcorn and munch on it while watching a movie on TV and wait for Cassie to get home. I'm sure we could order Chinese or something.

When the movie finally begins wrapping up, Cassie and Jaime start walking up the stairs into the apartment. Hand in hand. Literally.

Okay, Plan B. I flip the TV to a music station which is now blasting out Marianas Trench. Perfect-o.

Cassie comes in and only rolls her eyes. Her and Jaime go upstairs together.

Whatever.

* * *

_[Walls] [5:02pm] _

_Are you free Sunday? _

_[Queen] [5:03pm] _

_Are you asking me out? _

_[Walls] [5:03pm] _

_Is it working? _

* * *

Jaime and Cassie come back down after I finally turn off the music channel, trying to figure out what would get here faster. Pizza or Chinese?

"I could cook if you want," Jaime offers.

I inspect them both. No messy or wrinkled clothes, no odd smells or bad hair. Either they're really good at cleaning up or they didn't even try. Okay, good. "Sounds awesome, just don't burn the house down."

Then again, it's pretty hard to be a worse cook than myself.

* * *

_[Unknown Number] [6:13pm] _

_Hey _

_[Artemis Queen] [6:31pm] _

_What did I say about leaving me alone? _

* * *

The timer dings, announcing that whatever took Jaime forty minutes to cook is officially done.

"Finally!" I say, getting up off my couch to go get food. I met with a variety of highly colored foods that look strait out of a Hispanic catalog. "Uh, what's this?"

"Food," he says, handing me a plate with a tortilla, refried beans, onions, peppers and some sort of shredded meat.

"Uh, thanks," I say, folding it into a burrito. I sit down and cut it open, then send my prayers to those I love (not God) and take a bite.

Fuck, it's delicious.

I'm done after a few minutes and get up to get seconds. where did he learn to cook so well?

* * *

_[Barty] [11:00pm] _

_New Year's Party invite. You're allowed to spend the night ;) _

_[Artemis] [11:01pm] _

_Aren't you like 12? _

_[Barty] [11:01pm] _

_13, and that was for Cissie... _

* * *

"Hi," Jaime says, dropping his books next to me at lunch.

I look around, folding a french fry into my mouth, "I'm sorry, but did everybody else die or something?"

"Doctor's appointment, had to get a prescription refilled, so I don't know where everybody else is. Besides, I wanted to talk to you."

Awkward silence. "Yeah, I'm into that and all, but dating Wally apparently means being committed only to him-"

"Not like that," he says, "the New Year's party. And since you seem to have a hissy fit whenever I do anything without your consent involving Cassie, I wanted to make sure it was okay-"

"If you stand a foot away from her," I say, giving him the biggest grin I can muster.

He sighs, and picks his things back up, "thank you, _hermana."_

_Ouch._

* * *

_[Walls] [2:40pm]_

_You're coming to the party right? _

_[Queen] [2:41pm] _

_For the 100th time, yes. _

_[Queen] [2:42pm] _

_Now stop asking._

* * *

The New Year's party starts promptly right after school. Even if I didn't want to, I'm obligated to go because all of my friends are going.

Most people just walk straight to Bart and Wally's right after school, which includes me. Others go home to shower and dress up first, which includes Cassie and Jaime. Okay, yeah I was a little suspicious but if I try and keep too short of a leash, she'll just snap back and become rebellious.

In short, Jaime better hope he has rubbers.

Bart and Wally's place is cool. All comfort, though, no sophistication like our house. His aunt and uncle supervise, but not intensely or anything, and are pretty much to make sure nobody throws up over their rugs.

The New York thing is playing the entire time, and there's always at least three people watching singers or dancing to Taylor Swift together. At one point Stephanie get's eight people to sing Nicki Minajs' "Super Bass".

"Shots!" Zatanna calls fron the kitchen holding a tray filled with cups that have dark liquid.

"I'll pass." I hand the cup back to her.

She shoves it back to me, "chill, it's pepsi."

I pour it into a potted plant just in case and continue to mingle for a while. I find Cassie and Jaime talking and sorta dancing near the edge of the group.

"You stalking them again?" Megan asks, biting into a cupcake.

"No, 'bout to go to hell," I say, and non-chalantly shove Jaime into Cassie against the wall so that they're pressed chest to chest, lips inches apart.

They're good kids, okay?

When the ball drops at midnight, Wally picks me up into his arms and kisses me.

* * *

_[Dickwad] [3:21pm]_

_At my house in fifteen. _

_[Bitch] [3:21pm] _

_I swear you don't understand the concept of sleep. _

* * *

I arrive at Dick's in pajamas, "now what's so important?"

He shows me his laptop and begins bringing up hacked files. Jaime Reyes, Suzanne King-Jones, Bartholomew West.

"What?"

"Read," he instructs. So I click on Jaime's and it pulls up a picture of a younger, beaten and bruised Jaime.

_Jaime Reyes (aged 11)_

_Removed from home enviroment on April 20th. Doctors were led to believe Mr. Reyes was being abused within home enviroment after being examined following his incident with the Kord Industry explosion. Mr. Reyes was confirmed to have a second degree concussion and several fractures with his left arm that could not have been caused by the incident. He was relocated to a foster family in Happy Harbor. _

_Note(s): Jaime Reyes appears to suffer from severe **Dissociative identity disorder (DID). **His alter refuses to cooperate and Jaime has reported several times of throwing up his medication while his alter is in control. _

"I'm confused, what does this has to do with waking me up at three in the morning?"

"Because," he says, shutting off his laptop, "who knows when his abusive alter will start in with Cassie?"

* * *

_[Arty] [2:12pm] _

_Has Jaime ever hurt you or tried to make you do something you didn't want to do? _

_[Cass] [2:12pm] _

_No, he'd never do that. _

_[Arty] [2:13pm] _

_Right, I'm sorry. _


	7. Chapter 7

_[Arty] [11:21am] _

_I'm going over to Wally's all weekend, you'll be okay home alone, right?_

_[Cass] [11:22am] _

_Yeah, I guess. _

_[Arty] [11:23am] _

_You can have one of your friends over... if you like. Uhm, condoms in bottom right drawer of sewing table._

* * *

Like I said before, Wally's place is nice. His bedroom is kinda a train wreck, but he shoves everything into a closet in the two minutes that Bart gives me a tour of the house.

His Aunt Iris is like a godsent, I swear. Like, if god existed, it would be in the form of his aunt. She's always very put together, works as a TV reporter, cooks, cleans and takes care of her twins on top of Wally and Bart.

God: in making.

His Uncle Barry is the opposite. He's always rushing, forgetting things, works as a criminal detective and I don't see him even touch one of the twins until Dawn starts screaming at midnight.

Bart is on track team so I don't even see him all day Saturday because he's running ten miles or something ridiculous throughout town. He's wearing a red shirt and white shorts when he comes home.

"Are you and Cissie trying to match or something?" Wally asks him, looking Bart up and down, "she was wearing a white skirt and a red shirt earlier."

"No," Bart says, combing through his chestnut locks that are glued together from sweat, "but we do have to go practice that play thing for school."

"Sounds fun."

"Go die, Wally."

* * *

_[Dickwad] [6:21am]_

_Happy Birthday, sunshine. _

_[Dickwad] [6:21am] _

_Fuck, wrong person. _

_[Dickwad] [6:22am] _

_SPAM! _

_[Bitch] [6:22am] _

_Please fall down a hole. _

_[Dickwad] [6:23am] _

_Happy Birthday, sunshine. _

_[Dickwad] [6:24am]_

_Goddamnit._

* * *

"Shhh," somebody said in a low voice.

Dick, since he's closest, turns off the lights. I make sure I'm comfortably hidden behind a chair.

The front door opens, and the normal click of heels is heard. "Dick, you're not brooding again, are you?"

The lights come on and the fifty people that are hiding behind things jump out, yelling "surprise!", and even Alfred walks in with a cart that has a magnificent yellow and white decorated cake. In black sparkly letters he's calligraphed "Happy Seventeen, Zatanna".

"Thanks guys!" Z squeals, looking at the cake in marvel.

"No problem, but you still have gifts to open so I wouldn't get too psyched about cake yet."

* * *

_[Megs] [3:09pm] _

_What are you doing today? _

_[Arty] [3:10pm] _

_Taking Cassie shopping. _

* * *

The Metropolis Mall is pretty awesome. And that's coming from me. It's got food, clothes, games, books, and everything else you could probably think of (aside from dinosaurs).

Cassie needs a bit of an updated wardrobe, the autumn and winter months were okay since she was last in England before here, but now that it's the middle of April and the now-fifteen-year-old is still wearing thick sweaters and turtlenecks, I figured I should probably take her shopping.

I make sure to take Cassie's measurements before going to the mall so she doesn't have to have the mortification of a stranger wrapping measuring tape around her breasts.

Seriously, mortification meaning, right there.

We get lunch there too, because I'm starving after going through just shorts and dresses (is it just me, or are shorts designed so the guy can see your vagina without even taking off clothes? They're the equivalent of underwear, with holes).

Anyways, lunch. I get fries, soda, and a sandwich, while Cassie gets juice, chips, and a sandwich.

"How's yours and Jaime's relationship?" I ask, dipping my fries into ranch.

"Fine," Cassie said shortly, taking only sips of her juice. Chips and sandwich laid untouched, "you and Wally?"

"Good," I say, blushing, "we've gone to "second base"."

"Like... in baseball?"

I lean over to her and whisper what it means while she slowly looks horrified.

Well, good to know that they haven't gotten that far. Though the thought of Jaime seeing Cassie without her clothes disturbs me greatly.

* * *

_[Z] [4:17pm] _

_You're at the mall? WITHOUT ME?!_

_[Art] [4:17pm] _

_Try not to have a heart attack. _

* * *

We go through shirts, skirts, pants and accessories next. She finds a black tank top she likes, and a pair of red track pants.

At one point she finds a cute outfit that she tries on in the dressing room. Jaime calls about that time to ask- gasp!- if she wanted to spend the night at his house. Alone. Dun-dun-dun.

So I imitated Cassie's voice and struck her usual high-pitched squeal that usually accompanies anything to do with him.

"How do I look?" Cassie asks, exiting the dressing room, wearing a cute pink tank top and a pair of jeans with pink and green stenciling, "adorable; go change."

She turns back in, disposing of her ponytail holder. I keep my eyes peeled for anybody that needs to be thrown a good distance away.

And suddenly, in the sea of people, I catch a snatch of shocking white-blonde hair and steely gray eyes. Cameron Mankent.

So I do the only thing rational, burst into Cassie's dressing room and carry her out of the mall. In her bra and jeans.

"Arty!"

Ooops. I take off my cardigan and hand it to her. She wraps it around herself, "what was that about?"

"Nothing at all! I was just super excited because I'm going over to Z's and you're going to Jaime's!"

"Really?" she says, swallowing the half-lie, "I thought you didn't like me and Jaime together."

"I don't," I agree, "but I think it's time to let you be an adult and make you're own decisions. As in who you can date, not what color our carpet is."

"Awesome!"

"Yeah, now get in the car."

Cassie looks around, "I thought you couldn't drive."

Right. Shit. I look around. I took mechanics, how hard could it be to hot wire a Mercedes?


	8. Chapter 8

_[Artemis] [7:21pm] _

_I'm dropping Cassie off at your house. _

_[Jaime] [7:22pm] _

_I thought she didn't want to come over._

* * *

"You should really watch where you're going-" Cassie squeals, when I slam on the breaks at a red light. Okay, so maybe I got my license suspended for a valid reason.

"Fine, you drive," I say, pulling to an awkward stop at the side of the road.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure that's illegal-"

I'm already unbuckled and climbing out of the seat, stepping on her. She scoots over to the drivers seat nervously.

"Well, start the car. We're not going anywhere like this."

* * *

_[Walls] [8:35pm] _

_Bart just started freaking out, is everything okay? _

_[Queen] [8:35pm] _

_Yeah, I had to drop Cassie off at Jaime's. Something bad cropped up. _

_[Walls] [8:36pm] _

_?_

_[Queen] [8:36pm] _

_I'll tell you later. _

* * *

"So are we lighting him on fire or trapping him in a tiny room chained to the floor? Please speak freely, my boyfriend has connections to snipers, sharpshooters, thugs-"

I roll my eyes, "that's against the law."

Her hands jazzed outward, "_connections._"

"But-"

She put a finger to my lips, "connections."

* * *

_[Cissie] [11:42am] _

_Where are you, we're supposed to be practicing part in the play! _

_[Cass] [11:42am] _

_Cissie, this is Artemis. Cassie is in court today. _

* * *

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god?"

"I do."

A man with a stubbly beard slowly sat down. His lawyer calmly stood nearby, prepped with questions. Cassie still sat next to her lawyer, hair curled and wearing a dark purple dress.

"Mr. Johns, where were you the night of the unfortunate accident of Mrs. Sandsmark?"

"Clubbing," the bearded man, replied, stroking his hairy magnificence, "before that, at home with my little niece."

"And where were you at exactly ten-thirty-seven?"

"Driving."

"Please describe in detail what exactly happened."

The man stroked his beard with two fingers, "well, I was driving down the Division, and all the sudden this crazy drunk lady with some little kid in the car come cruisin' down and wreck my car all to hell. The lady did it to herself."

"Could you please point out the child to the court?"

Mr. Johns pointed to Cassie, "the spittin' image of her mama."

"Did they just call her a kid?" Jaime whispered to me.

"Yeah, apparently you're dating a minor."

* * *

"Were you intoxicated anytime that night?"

"Had a drink or two, but barely felt it."

There was a long pause, "and you say Mrs. Sandsmark was the one intoxicated and hit you?"

"Yup."

"And why would you think she was driving?"

"Who knows? Maybe she needed to pick up a pack of smokes and couldn't leave the kid home alone."

"You're lying!" Cassie said indignantly, standing up.

"Ms. Sandsmark, please-"

"No, let the kid talk, I want to hear the lies she'll spin out to protect her Mama."

Needless to say, Cassie had to be carried out of the room.

* * *

_[Z] [6:21pm] _

_[-VIDEO ATTACHED-] _

_[Art] [6:22pm] _

_That's funny. _

* * *

"Are you cooking?"

Mom turned away from the stove, and Cassie flops down on the couch. I walk overto my mother who is actually cooking.

"I figured a family meal would be good. How did court go?"

"Awful," I say glumly, "the court ruled in favor of Mr. Johns because there's not enough supporting evidence and Cassie tried to attack him with a ball point pen."

"Did she hurt him?"

"MOM!"

She adds green onions to the chicken and put the lid back over it. "If she didn't then it could be just considered impulsive, not actual endangerment."

"I'm pretty sure she would have killed him if she could of."

* * *

_[Karen] [8:32pm] _

_Are we still doing the marine biology project together? _

_[Artemis] [8:32pm] _

_Did you just pick me as your partner? Because that's amazing._

* * *

Jaime stays Friday night. I can't help the fact that I really don't like him, while Cassie like, loves him. It frustrates me.

Anyways, because it's the middle of May they decide to sleep upstairs and I get the downstairs bedroom. Mom and Dad are, once again, on a business trip. They should honestly just build a company here in this city.

I watch TV in the bedroom and keep going up to check on Jaime and Cassie. I wonder if they can hear me coming up the stairs or something, because they look fairly guilty when I poke my head into the room.

Is it wrong for them to be sleeping in the same bed together? I mean, they're not having sex, right?

* * *

_[Arte] [7:21pm] _

_Yo, congrats. Totally going to miss you and Megs. _

_[Kon] [7:22pm] _

_We'll miss you too. :( _

* * *

Graduation day is supposed to be happy. For me, it's the equivalent of a funeral. Raquel graduates with a straight A's and accepted into her school of choice. Kal is valedictorian, and makes a wonderful speech. Megs and Kon are as happy as can be and will be getting married late July, with Megs working for a sewing company and Kon at a farm. It's just Dickwad, Z, Walls and me left. Cassie will be a sophomore next year, and I'll graduate.

Everything seems so surreal it isn't even funny anymore.

When I get back home Cassie has the news on. It does the weather, and cuts straight into a Top Story about a killed escapee from Belle Reve. Cameron.

By a sniper.

The Freshman class performs Alice, and Cissie strikes every note correctly, from humor to awkwardness. During her and Bart's performance I'm sure I peed myself from laughing. Cissie messes up while talking to the playing cards, though.

* * *

_[Cass] [3:21pm] _

_I'm going over to Cissie's! _

* * *

So, I guess the biggest lesson learned is to let things play out on there own, because most of the time, they'll turn out okay. Cameron's gone for good, Raquel and Kal will have a little baby in due time, me and Wally stuck together, and Cassie and Jaime were together even after they graduated.

If it doesn't concern you, don't worry.


End file.
